JACKSONVILLE – Let's get to it …
Hulk from Las Vegas, NV
I know this query has been answered, but I wanted to double down. Oklahoma quarterback Kyler Murray's height wasn't an issue in college playing against the same 6-feet-3 to 6-feet-8 defensive linemen that end up in the NFL just like him. Durability? Drew Brees, anyone?? Not saying Murray has Brees' accolades, but he has the exact same build and is light years more athletic. He'll read fields over the same defensive linemen. His release is high. Should we ask Doug Flutie his opinion? I just think we put too much emphasis on height and weight and teams miss out on a great football player because of the status quo of their peers. I agree with ole' boy, YOLO.
Wow, you didn't so much double down as you just sort of flailed around hoping to make contact. Look, I have said and will continue to say Murray may be an outlier and be able to overcome lack of size to become a big-time NFL quarterback – and he therefore must be scouted and considered seriously. But he is by any measure a big risk and a boom-or-bust proposition. As for your points, Murray wasn't playing against the same defensive linemen in college as he will in the NFL. Not even close. There might be one lineman or two in a college game capable of starting in the NFL, but there are very few – even in the best programs –playing with the speed, physicality and power of an NFL defensive lineman. And when you mention Brees, you're mentioning an outlier in the sense he and Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson were perhaps the only quarterbacks close to Murray's height to have become elite. As for asking Flutie his opinion on the matter, I certainly wouldn't want to do that. He played professional football a long time, but in terms of NFL quarterbacking, he wasn't particularly good.
Mark from Evanston, IL
The quarterback demand is unusually thin among NFL franchises this year. If the Jaguars were to attempt to trade for Nick Foles (or another quarterback like Case Keenum), then they could possibly dictate the terms of the trade if nobody else goes after him.
Possibly, but remember: it only takes two teams to drive up trade value. Even though the market for quarterbacks is smaller, I imagine there will be enough of a market that he won't come cheap.
Jesse from Layton
I know how you loathe to do work, so I decided to do some for you. I began to wonder what the odds were of a Top 10 Quarterback living up to their draft status. I looked up the quarterbacks drafted in the Top 10 for the last 20 years (1999-2018). There were 34 drafted. The best by far would be, in chronological order Donovan McNabb, Michael Vick, Eli Manning, Philip Rivers, Matt Ryan, Matthew Stafford, Cam Newton and Andrew Luck. Too early to tell: Jared Goff, Patrick Mahomes and Baker Mayfield. None of the rest have lived up to top 10 status so far. So while people want to criticize general manager quarterback picks in the Top 10, the reality is all quarterbacks have a very high chance of failure – with a tiny chance of a big payoff. It makes "risky" quarterbacks such as Murray even that much higher a risk. It's so much easier to sit on the couch and say what a horrible pick Bortles was.
True that, though I feel confident saying Mahomes is going to live up to his draft status.
Mandy from Section 414 and Jacksonville
Are the Jags really interested in Murray? Please tell this Teal Girl it isn't so. I keep hearing that Murray is the next Lamar Jackson. I really want to see a quarterback that can complete more than 14 passes in a game and not fumble 12 times. Yes, it's exciting to watch but that doesn't cut it for this girl. I say we do whatever it takes to get Ohio State quarterback Dwayne Haskins. He seems more of a true NFL quarterback that can get us wins down the line. We can give up one of third rounders for him and still use our second- and other third-round round selection to get him some help. Don't you think Haskins has a better chance to make it in the NFL?
You lean toward prototypes at quarterback, Mandy. I do, too. That doesn't mean there's not risk involved with both choices, but it means we're thinking alike. And yes … if the Jaguars could move up to select Haskins with one third-round selection, that would be ideal.
Sam from Orlando, FL
It's not always coaching but Marrone and Brady wouldn't have won six Super Bowls in New England. Just sayin.
They wouldn't have?
David from Chuluota
O-Zone – Dropping science here. Straight Facts. In Nick Foles' seven NFL seasons, he has two seasons where he has thrown for more than 10 touchdowns. His career passer rating is 61.6, which isn't much better than the guy we're running out of town (Blake Bortles, 59.3). He never has thrown for 3,000 yards in a season, while in 2015 Bortles threw for 4,428. His best season statistically was 2013; that was six years ago. I think everyone has seen Foles in some career highlight games and think that represents his career. Do we really want to give this guy $25 million dollars? His numbers suggest otherwise and that's more "the truth" than Lamar Jackson will ever be.
That's not science, exactly – but your point that there is much risk involved with Foles is pertinent. He's not a sure thing. No option available to the Jaguars this offseason is a sure thing. I'm not even sure if any option is good bet. But there are options that almost certainly will be better than what was in the quarterback position before.
Carlos from Mexico City, Mexico
Does it make sense to compare Murray to Russell Wilson? A smallish, strong-armed, quick-feet guy who's a superb enough athlete to play both Major League Baseball and in the National Football League. Are the Seahawks and Jaguars' teams built similar enough for a QB like this to have success? If Murray is anything close to Wilson, will he be worth the No. 7 overall pick?
Yes, if Murray is anything close to Wilson he absolutely would be worth selecting No. 7 overall.
Blake from Minot, ND
Say Arizona really likes Murray. Have the Jags considered floating their first-round pick to Arizona for quarterback Drew Rosen? I still like Rosen more than Haskins or whoever may or may not be there when it's the Jags' turn.
I'm sure the Jaguars will consider all possibilities between now and the 2019 NFL Draft. How much will come from those considerations I have no idea.
Jason from Da 'Hass
John, with respect to the speculation that Murray may go play baseball before his rookie deal is up, his agent has to know that whatever team drafts him will pack that contract full of protective language to protect themselves if that actually happened.
A team drafting Murray undoubtedly would protect themselves financially. The concern would be whether baseball would remain a temptation or option enough to make it viable if football was difficult. I'm not saying it's an issue that will make Murray undraftable. I'm not saying it's an issue you can't look past. I'm saying it would be a concern and something to be considered.
Sean from Jacksonville
I may be a little slow, but this is the first offseason where I've given more thought to the draft being very predicated upon what you accomplish, or not, during free agency. The overall plan of an NFL team seems like it should include both of those events' plans joining together. But, as we see every year, some teams' decision makers are fairly disjointed. As for the Jaguars, I can't yet determine how they put together the free agency and draft plans. It seems like a crapshoot every year.
It's not.
Taylor from Columbia, MD
Perhaps the reason the players they drafted at the quarterback position weren't as good as they hoped is because they were drafting for prototypes rather than the actual players?
The reason the Jaguars' selections at quarterback weren't as good as hoped is because a lot of early-drafted quarterbacks miss and they picked some that missed. And because the quarterbacks they selected – like a lot of early-selected quarterbacks – had a lot of weaknesses to go with the strengths. That's how it is most years. That's how it is this season. We'll see if the Jaguars get it right, and there are no guarantees. But the more strengths and fewer weaknesses a player has the better chance he has for success.
John from Jacksonville
Are there any good 7-feet-6 quarterbacks out there for the taking? Think of the advantage having clear sight over the line of scrimmage battles. There has to be one ... somewhere.
/Googling this.
